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Market Report: Eat Your Way Through Madrid for LessWhen time (and money) is of the essence, shopping at the city's public markets provides a delicious alternative to more expensive sit-down meals at restaurants. By Jennifer Olvera December 4, 2009
Madrid -- a city known for sopa de ajo (garlic soup), bacalao a la Madrilena (saucy salted cod) and tortilla de patata (potato omelet) -- is a gourmet's dream. Flush with asadores (grill houses), it's also where you can score Castilian and Basque-Navarre-style eats like suckling pig, hake and bream. Of course, dining out can get pricey, so consider doing so at lunch when most restaurants offer special -- and more affordable -- menus. After all, it's the most revered meal of the day. But when time (and money) is of the essence, shopping at the city's public markets provides a delicious alternative. Filled with a chockablock of high-energy, independently operated stalls -- each specializing in a specific food group, be it meat, seafood, or cheese -- the markets give visitors a sense of how residents live. Whether it's sugar-sweet fruit, olive oil or jamon, plan to pick up local goods to snack on during your stay. Then, pack special finds -- the kind allowed through customs -- to extend the vacation at home. Make your first stop the Mercado de San Miguel (Plaza de San Miguel, Madrid, www.mercadodesanmiguel.es), an easily manageable market in the city's Puerta del Sol district. Housed in an impressive turn-of-last-century buildig, it's lined with stalls stacked with familiar (and not-so-familiar) eats. Go early -- when everything is extra-fresh -- and wander from one booth to the next. Look for run-down-your-chin juicy paraguayos, heirloom tomatoes, salchichon and Manchego. Keep an eye out for preserves -- they're perfect for pairing with that wedge of cheese -- as well as canned and pickled treats. El Mercado de los Mostenses (Plaza de Los Mostenses, Malasaña), on the other hand, is a multicultural market loaded with Chinese, Japanese, and Mexican ingredients as well as goods from South America. Among the hard-to-resist selections are glistening Asian cabbages and manioc. El Mercado de Maravillas (Calle Bravo Murillo 122, Madrid; tel. 91-533-40-30) is one of Madrid's longest standing -- not to mention impressive -- covered markets. It boasts upwards of 260 family-run stalls; some specialize in highly specific local ingredients. In other words, you may encounter Aranjuez asparagus or beef from Extremadura. Shopping here can be an education in eating farm-to-plate, but it's also a gathering place -- especially on Saturday mornings when restaurateurs come to grab grub and locals assemble to sip coffee and sol y sombra (anise-tinged brandy). Tucked into one of Madrid's glam neighborhoods, La Paz (Calle De Ayala 28, Madrid; tel. 91-435-07-43) is full of purveyors selling high-quality ingredients, among them meats from specialty butchers, locally made, artisanal cheeses, crusty bread, and just-plucked fruits and veggies. You'll also find restaurants and a jewelry shop. While there, marvel at the fresh catches -- fishmongers mist their offerings, keeping them fresh. Then, move on to ogle the endless array of olives, marinated in many ways. Talk with fellow Frommer's travelers in our Spain forum today.
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Related Features Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
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